“The world doesn’t slow down for your weak imaan…”

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Weak imaan exists inside of us, [it doesn’t exist] in the entire universe around us. Only we change when we have weak imaan. Allah swt does not become less Great. The times do not decrease in their fitnah and tribulations. The Muslims don’t stop being oppressed and murdered. The Day of Judgement doesn’t move further away. And your time of death doesn’t, either. The world doesn’t slow down for your weak imaan and give you time to catch up. You need to wake up and run harder and faster so you can catch up.

From my Journal – February 14th 2013

It is from the Mercy of Allah swt that the world doesn’t slow down for us when we have weak imaan. Otherwise, what motivation would we have to increase. It is only when we open up our eyes to the reality of world around us that we realize our purpose once again.

“My son, intend good.”

One day, ‘Abdullah, the son of al-Imam Ahmad, said to his father: “Advise me, father.” So, he said: “My son, intend good. As long as you intend good, you’ll always be in a state of good.“

Ibn Muflih comments: “This is a great piece of advice – easy for the questioned, easy to understand & implement for the questioner. Whoever applies it will have constant & continuous reward due to its constant & continuous nature. This applies to all of the actions of the heart required by the Shari’ah, whether in relation to the Creator or the creation.”

[‘al-Adab ash-Shar’iyyah’; 1/102]

“Each acts according to his disposition”

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq radhiallahu ‘anhu said, “I recited the Qur’an from its beginning to its end and I did not see any ayah more beautiful and full of hope than His Saying, Exalted be He:

“Say, ‘Each acts according to his disposition.’”
[al-Isra’: 84]

For indeed, the slave is disposed towards nothing but disobedience [‘isyaan]; and the Lord is disposed towards nothing but forgiveness [ghufraan].

[Tafsir al-Qurtubi]

“Even if he doesn’t kill you, you will still die…” – The Advice of Abu Ja’far

 

He (Imam Ahmed) was taken to al-Ma’moon in chains, and (al-Ma’moon) had already issued him such a stern warning before he reached him that a servant said to Imaam Ahmad, “It hurts me, O Abu ‘Abd-Allaah, that al-Ma’moon has unsheathed a sword which he has never unsheathed before, and he swears by his relationship to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that if you do not accept what he says about the Qur’aan being created, he will certainly kill you with that sword.” (Al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah, 1/332)

 

At this point, the intelligent scholars took the opportunity to say to their imaam words that would help him to remain steadfast. In al-Siyar (11/238), al-Dhahabi reports from Abu Ja’far al-Anbaari: “When Ahmad was taken to al-Ma’moon, I was told about it, so I crossed the Euphrates and found him sitting in an inn, where I greeted him. He said, ‘O Abu Ja’far, why did you go to the trouble (of coming here)?’ I said, ‘Listen to me, today you are the leader and the people are following you. By Allaah, if you accept that the Qur’aan is created, a lot of people will go along with that, but if you do not, then neither will they. Even if this man (al-Ma’moon) does not kill you, you will still die, because death is inevitable, so fear Allaah, and do not go along with (al-Ma’moon).’ Ahmad began to weep and said, ‘Ma sha Allaah.’ Then he said, ‘O Abu Ja’far, say it again,’ so I said it again, and he kept saying, ‘Ma sha Allaah.’…”

Source: Means of Steadfastness: Standing Firm in Islam by Sh Saalih Al-Munajjid hafidhahullah

Close the Door

“So keep yourself busy with closing the door to evil and corruption before you become unable to close it, instead of keeping yourself busy wondering about the one who made the door and how come he did not keep it closed…” 

Shaykh Saalih al Munajjid

O my eye! All men have eyes!

“Let not your tongue mention the shame of another. For you yourself are covered in shame and all men have tongues. If your eye falls upon the sin of your brother. Shield them and say, “Oh my eye! All men have eyes!””

~ Imam Ash-Shaafi’ee

 

 

 

The Wisdom Behind Repetition in Prayer

The Wisdom Behind Repetition in Prayer

Posted: by Fajr Blog

As-salamu `alaykum wa rahmatullah

“… And it has been prescribed for the servant to repeat these actions and words (i.e. repeat recitation of al-Fatiha, rukoo’, sujood etc, in the prayer) as it is a source of nourishment for the heart and soul. There is no strength in them (the heart and soul) except through this.

Its repetition is just like repeatedly eating food – mouthful after mouthful until a person eats his fill, and drinking again and again until his thirst is quenched. If a hungry individual only took one mouthful of food and then pushed his food away, what will that mouthful do for him? In fact, it may even cause him to become hungrier!

For this reason, one of the Salaf said: ‘A person who prays but does not find tranquillity in his prayer is like a person who is hungry… food is brought to him but he only takes one or two handfuls. What will it then do for him?!’”

[Asrar al-Salat, Ibn al-Qayyim]

Most of the time, a person’s level of Iman, khushu’ (humbleness), and depth of spirituality increases in stages, and doesn’t occur overnight or with one act of ‘Ibadah alone. For this reason, Allah legislated that the soul undergo repetitive acts of ‘Ibadah for it to attain higher levels of Iman; so in the case of prayer, a slave offers it no less than 5 times a day and if they feel themselves lacking in spiritual nourishment, they should increase in nafl (supererogatory) salah until their soul begins to feel nourished and the empty voids are all filled. The same with other acts of worship and the soul will soon taste the sweetness of Iman (faith) and climb up from rank to rank in the Sight of Allah.

“…He will not reach the goal…”

“Whoever learns something in the name of Allah, seeking that which is with Him, he will win. And whoever learns something for other than Allah, he will not reach the goal, nor will his acquired knowledge bring him closer to Allah.”

~ Al-Hasan al-Basri

 

 

 

Compete with the sinners in asking Allah’s forgiveness

‘If you don’t have the ability to compete with the pious in righteous deeds then compete with the sinners in asking Allah’s forgiveness’

– Ibn Rajab

From Fa Firroo ilaAllah

 

 

 

Read and Elevate…

 

Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-’Aas heard the Prophet (SAW) saying:

“It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an: Read and elevate (through the levels of the Paradise) and beautify your voice as you used to do when you were in the dunya! For verily, your position in Paradise will be at the last verse you recite!”

(Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi)